Siberian Strike

Make things go boom. A worthy download.

Most blasters on cellphones tend to shoot blanks. It's either the tiny display, the difficulty of controlling a high-speed bombing run with the keypad, or the plain lack of ambition or TLC on the designer's part--something ends up torpedoing the entire experience. But a record of crashing and burning has stopped Gameloft from stepping up with it's own take on the beloved shoot-'em-up genre, titled Siberian Strike.

Features:

5 levels of action

3 planes to choose from

Siberian Strike's backstory is quite the yarn. Sit down for this.

A vodka distribution company, "STALINKA Corp.", is perfecting a strategy of global communist invasion using a secret weapon: a genetically engineered vodka which completely and utterly deprives those who drink it of individual willpower. The company is run by Stalin-bot, a robot "drunk" on power, genetic crossbreed between Stalin and the future Mir space station.

Awesome.

Already, you're going in with a smile. Thankfully, the game that follows will likely keep that grin plastered on your mug, as Siberian Strike is fun, clean shooter that works beautifully on your cellphone. (We tested Siberian Strike on the Nokia 3650.) Pick your wings are take to the sky for an intense shootout with wave after wave of Soviet fighters, gunships, and carriers.

Your plane has an unlimited supply of bullets. And in R-Type fashion, you can hold down the fire button to supercharge your weapons for one big blast. This tactic usually works best against boss ships, especially when you've exhausted your supply of bombs. Shooting down certain planes will reveal icons, such as extra bombs or weapon power-ups. In addition to power-ups and extra lives, some ships will leave behind medals that increase your end-level bonus.

There are five levels of shooting action in Siberian Strike, taking you across the arctic blue sea, past the frozen tundra of the Siberian wilderness, up to a mammoth headquarters. All of the levels look decidedly different, which is a real treat, considering most cellphone game's often shamelessly recycle level design.

Control is always an issue in cellphone shooters, and while Siberian Strike is certainly the best of the bunch, there is still difficulty piloting your bomber. Celly keypads and touchpads are no match for a console controller, and it takes some serious adjustment to get used to the difference. Fumbling with the itty-bitty touchpad often leads to death. This may not exactly be Siberian Strike's fault, but it's certainly something to take in consideration for future shooter developers.

The game looks great, boasting some sweet visuals that are occasionally on par with a Game Boy Advance game. Of course, the animation is not nearly as good as you would find on a GBA, but that's a middling complaint for a shooting game. Really, all you need are good explosions effects, and Siberian Strike's boom-boom is satisfying. There are is also a nifty effect when you engage your superbomb--the screen goes wavy for a moment, courtesy of the shockwave.

For such a crash and bang blaster, there is surprisingly little sound. A rousing little ditty plays in the beginning, but then it's just your basic collection of beeps. Many of the explosions are completely silent--which is somewhat disappointing, especially for a shooting game, where the object to make things go boom.

The Verdict

The shooter genre has been a mixed bag on cellphones. Failures
have been spectacular, such as the botched Top Gun blaster,
while successes--like Bandai's Gundam Assualt--have been only
minor pleasures. Siberian Strike handily beats them all with solid
gameplay stretched across five varied levels. Control can be a
problem, but a little practice helps offset the difficulty of using
the touchpad. A worthy download.